James Ogden Eyewitness Account

• Place: Manchester
• Role: Spectator
• Occupation: Publican

9/11/1819 Statement about reformers before 16th in his ‘House’ were anti-government, afterward ‘they began it but it was not ended yet’.

Account

Download account

‘Information of James Ogden of Blackley, Publican, taken upon oath before me one of His Majesty’s Justices of the Peace in and for the County of Lancaster this ninth day of November 1819,

Who saith that his House (the New White Lion) was a good deal frequented by persons who Informant believes came principally from Middleton, Royton, Rochdale and Chadderton up to the sixteenth of August last. Informant observes that their conversation one with another was about the Corn Laws – that there would be no good until they were taken off, and frequently the Informant heard them curse the Government and damn the Crazy King – meaning the King of England. These remarks and this talk he is in no doubt were uttered on Saturday the fourteenth of August last, as they had been uttered on many former occasions. Informant saw immense crowds of persons going to Manchester on the morning of the 16^th of August last with flags and a cap of liberty and music playing, and has no doubt that the persons who frequented his House were a part of the crowd who went to the Meeting at Manchester that morning. Informant observed crowds of persons return from the meeting between two and three o'clock in the afternoon some of whom called at Informant’s House and said – “they began it (meaning the Soldiers) but it was not ended yet”.’

Back to list